Simple ways to save water in the kitchen

For some of us, we’re cooking in cities and towns where water is in short supply. In fact all through the early 2000s Australia suffered from droughts in many regions, so we had to keep our water usage low. I remember driving around Canberra and seeing the signs on the side of the road telling us the dams were down to 20% or less.

But you might not be surrounded by drought. It could be that water is abundant but that water fees are extraordinarily high. That’s what I’m facing now, and it’s hard to reduce your water usage just to keep the bills in check. Luckily for me I have been able to get the water bills down so that the highest amount in the bill is just the connection fee, and not the actual water usage.

So if you’re in a drought, or need to keep the budget in check, then today’s post is for you. It’s also for you if you’d like to do your bit for the environment and help keep the earth nice for future generations. 🙂

Tips for saving water in the kitchen

1. Boil the kettle for exact amounts. For instance if you need a litre of hot water, boil it in the kettle so it’s faster, and you heat the exact amount rather than heating more and having it evaporate.

2. Fill the sink with water before you cook so that you can rinse your fingers and plates as you go. Then you can load them in the dishwasher or wash them without having to run extra water.

3. If your plates are going in the dishwasher anyway, only rinse the heavily dirty plates. Any plates that are lightly dirty can go straight into the dishwasher and it will take care of it.

4. Dishwasher’s actually use less water than washing up, so if you have one, use it.

5. While the fry pan you cooked dinner in is still hot, add in a cup or so of water and swish it around with the spatula/spoon you used. This lifts the baked on and burnt food easier than if you were to leave the pan empty and have to clean it later, therefore using less water in the clean up.

6. Clean spills and pans as you go, so you don’t need to use so much water. Wipe benches over with a cloth or run a piece of paper towel around a pan if it’s really dirty. You can also wipe the pan clean if you want to reuse it for the same meal.

7. Rice, quinoa, barley, polenta can all be cooked using the absorption method. This simply means you put the right amount of water in with the grain so that it cooks in the water but it absorbs the water so there is none to throw away.

8. For foods that don’t use the absorption method, like pasta, then use the size saucepan that fits the food once it’s swelled up. A big saucepan with lots of water and a small amount of food means you’ll waste more water.

Pretty much, if you’re careful about your cooking choices and clean up as soon as possible after cooking then you’ll be able to use less water easily.

Have you got any other clever tips for saving water in the kitchen? If so, let us know in the comments or tell me on Twitter @SpicedAnecdotes.